Improvement in harvesters



UNITED STATES PATENTI OEEIoE.

EBENEZER E. LEWIS, OF GENEVA, NEW YORK.

IMPROVEMENT IN HARVESTERS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 74,835, dated February 25, 1868.

To all whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, EBENEZER E. LEwrs,

f of Geneva, in the county of Ontario and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Reaping and Swathing Machines; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the construction and operation ofthe same, reference being had to the annexed drawings, making a part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is a birds-eye view. Fig. 2 is a rear view.

The letters of reference refer to the same parts in each gure.

The nature of my invention consists in making a reaping and swathing machine that may be applied to any kind of reaper that is now in use, and it is so constructed and arranged that it will deliver the grain in a swath, so that it may be readily loaded on a wagon without binding, and it will deliver what it cuts at one time in a swath far enough from the standing grain to allow the team to pass between the swath and standing grain, and then convey the next swath to the former one, and deposit it upon or alongside of it, so that two swaths will be together, and both may be loaded on a wagon at the same time.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I will describe its mode of construction and operation.

A is the finger-bar. It is better made of strong light wood. It should be made long enough to reach from the standing grain to the opposite side of the machine, and out a 4 swath the required width, or far enough to allow theA conveyer to carry the swath that is being out to one that was previously cut. This bar is fastened to the frame of any reaper, or

to the axle, by any of the well-known devices4 now in common use. It is provided with guard-lingers, cutter-bar, and dividingshoe of any kind now in use, and it may be raised or lowered by any of the well-known devices. To the rear edge is iixed a frame-work that will support the conveyer, as shown in Fig. 1, also journalboxes for the rollers of the conveyer, and for the shafting that drives the rollers. To that portion of the bar that is directly behind the driving-wheels or team may be applied any desirable device for actuating any part of the swathing mechanism Y the cutters.

`B is the rear portion of the frame-work that holds the conveyer E in place. It must be made wider than the diameter of the rollers of the conveyer, ,and the upper edge must be high enough to keep the grain from falling off the conveyer.4 One end is cut away, as shown in Fig. 2, to allow the grain topass off at this place when the .first swath is to be laid behind This end is held in place by the lever G, which is attached to the fingerbar by a loose joint. The lever passes under it to allow the rear edge or corner to be raised or lowered at will. This portion of the conveyer may be raised or lowered and held in position by the lever G, as hereinafter specified. The other end of this portion of the framework is pivoted on the end of a cross-piece, as shown in the figure, to allow its position to be changed. This piece also sustains the rear end of the rollers of conveyer E.

O is another portion of the frame-work that keeps the conveyer D in place. It is made wide enough to keep the grain on Ithe conveyer, and it holds the rear end of the rollers of the conveyer D, and it is supported. by a cross-piece extending from the rear edge of the finger-bar.

D is a conveyer, made as a slatted belt, and is supported and driven by the rollers that it surrounds, and is always driven so as to carry the cut grain in direction from the standing grain. The roller that drives the conveyer has a miter-pinion at the forward end, that' is driven by a pinion on the shaft in the rear part of the finger-bar; or it may be driven by vthe supporting-wheel.

E is also a conveyer, supported and oper ated by similar rollers. It is made as a slatted belt. It must be made so as to carry grain either to the right or left. When the swath is required at the left end, it must be driven in the same direction as the conveyer D, andwhen the swath is required behind the cutters, it must be driven in the other direction, and when thus driven the rear corner must be lowered, as shown in Fig. 2, to allow the grain that comes in each direction to pass of freely.

F is a pulley or band wheel. Itis driven by a belt that passes around it and a wheel on the crankshaft of the reaper. This wheel is supported by an axle that passes into the tinger-bar, and on the rear end of this axle is a miter-pinion, that transmits power and motion to the shaft or axle H.

Gr is a lever. It is pivoted to the frame of the reaper, and extends back to the lower edge of the part B. Its use is to sustain and actuate this part. The forward end extends upward to any convenient place, where it may be moved by the hand or foot of the driver, and it may be held by a spring-catch, pin, or bolt, as preferred.

H is a shaft or axle. It is placed Within the rear edge of the iinger-bar. Its use is to carry the pinions that drive the rollers of the conveyers. Its position is shown by removing a portion of the iin ger-bar, asv shown in Fig. 1.

I is aconnection, that extends from a groove in one ,of the pinions that drives the conveyer E to a similar groove in the other pinion. Its use iskto slide the pinions into and out of gear with the pinions ou the end of the rollers.

These pinions are prevented from turning upon the axle. The use of this arrangement is to change the direction at will of the conveyer E, for the purpose of placing two swaths in one windrow, or all ofthe swaths separate, as is desired.

J is a lever that is used to actuate the connection I. It may be made to extend from the connection to the forward part of the iinger-bar, then pass up through it and extend forward,as shown in Fig. 1, or in any other direction that will make it more convenient to handle.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, `and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

- 1. The reversible conveyer E, when used to deliver grain from a reaping-machine behind the finger-bar, substantially as specified.

2. A discharging apparatus for harvesters which will deliver the second swath from a reaping-machine directly upon or so near the lirst swath as to form a double swath or windrow convenient to be loaded upon a wagon.

EBENEZER E. LEWIS.

Witnesses:

O. G. LEFUYER, GHARLEs KETCHUM. 

